So about that list….

Yesterday, I had a meeting with my Pastor. As a young woman meeting with my Pastor, people automatically assumed I was telling him my prince has found me. *screams* :-)

After the nth time of being asked subtly and overtly, I played along and acquiesced with a smile.  If everyone keeps asking, they must know something that I am yet to know, might as well claim it. *shrug*

While waiting for my meeting, another Pastor on the leadership team, asked me “well what kind of things are you looking for in your mate?”

Of course I have this written down, so I busted out my laptop and opened “the list” for her.

I haven’t revisited the list in a while.  I mentally revisited the list over the summer when I learned the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle is what the King is looking for in His Son’s bride.  Likewise, I should also possess those characteristics and desire these characteristics in my "life partner" as my grandma commonly calls it, (almost every time she asks me, almost every time she sees me, and subsequently every time she prays for me……God bless the intercessory grandma's!)

Apart from that, I hadn’t really considered my list since the soul mate (woman’s perspective, man’s perspective, wrap-up) blog posts and the subsequent discussions that flowed from those posts about 6 months ago.

Going back to my particular list, which may or may not have been posted, the lists are anonymous ;-) she began to go over it with me.  I couldn’t help but to laugh, as we went down the list.

“Christina, does this person exist?.... He does not have to..... Is he a clown!.... What…! Why....? What does this even mean?” [insert chuckles here and there]

Granted, I'm not "married" to this list and wouldn't use it as the end all be all check list, as that would be unreasonable. However, listening to my list being verbally processed by another was humorous.

Some of my characteristics were taken from Godly matrimony's that I have witnessed and a combination of teachings.  Undoubtedly, many married couples with the admirable Godly relationships did not have their current relationships, pre-marriage (aka courting or dating) and possibly for some time post-nuptials (aka "the ceremony").  So one should not necessarily expect all the desired characteristics from the get-go.

I realized my previous list, was more so a list of desired characteristics in my husband, after years of growing together, learning and knowing each other.

My list now consists of 4 main things of equal importance:

1. Friend
2. Faithful
3. God-loving
4. Prayerful

BAM!

I have two more preferences but they are certainly not deal breakers.

Given that we do not have a soul mate, that is until we have chosen our life partner, we do have our Sovereign Lord.  He knows my whole story from beginning to eternity.

So until that part of my story comes along, I know He knows the desires of my heart.  I’ll pray that He would conform my desires, to His desires for me.

And rest assured His will, will be done.

LIFE: abortion is a death penalty too.

Last month one man was judicially tried, convicted and sentenced to death by lethal injection also known as the death penalty.  The death penalty has been outlawed in several states including Illinois.  However, Troy Davis was tried in Georgia, a state which still allows capital punishment.  People were outraged using various avenues and sites to speak out against the death penalty, all the way to the front steps of the courts even.

Last month about 108,333 innocent children were murdered by abortion.

Some of the people who were so adamantly opposed to the Troy Davis sentence are pro-choice.  In other words, there are people opposed to the death penalty and in support of abortion.  This philosophy just does not align logically.  I would imagine as a  principle, if you are against the death penalty for an adult, you would also be against the death penalty for a child, moreover a child who is not suspected of committing any crime at all, whatsoever.

This is a short post calling for more agreement in prayer to end abortion.  I pray that all who believe that our Sovereign Lord is God alone, and anyone with morals for that matter, will see the congruency between the death penalty and abortion.  I pray that all believers will see that abortion is 21st century genocide, especially targeted to the minority populations. Additionally, I pray that believers of Christ will speak out against abortion and make informed decisions when voting.  I also pray that pregnant women/parents will choose LIFE.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. 

Proverbs 31:8

I knew you were...!

I went to a small grammar (elementary) school; roughly 30 students in each grade from Kindergarten to 8th grade. A majority of the people I graduated with, I’ve known since we started Kindergarten together, 9 years earlier.

With a group this small, it was almost a given that several characteristics about your identity were unique. For example, I was the only Nigerian that most of my classmates probably knew for a while. Some of my classmates probably did not have close encounters with another Nigerian until high school or college.

In grammar school, I had (and still have) a Greek friend named Madeline and she influenced my understanding of the Hellenic culture. As I was introduced to more Hellenic people, over the years, she would often come to mind and facts (and possibly stereotypes) that I knew about the culture through her.

For example, this past week I made a new Greek friend. We exchanged some introductory questions when we both identified and related with each other as being first generation.

Me: Are you Greek Orthodox?
John: Yeah. About 98% of Greeks are Greek Orthodox.
Me: Does your last name end in "o-u-s"? (oulos)
John: No, it’s _____ it’s like the "Smith" of Greek, but many names do end in o-u-s.

Just the same, some of the questions he had for me were based on what he knew of the Nigerian culture, probably from his first encounter with a Nigerian.

The power of a first (or only) impression; it really lasts. It was then that I realized, everyone one I went to school with learned about the Nigerian culture, based on what I represented, intentionally, through conversations and International nights and inadvertently, through my actions, word choice, attire and just everyday living and habits.

At the African Christian Fellowship young adults conference, last summer in Chicago, themed “Salt of the Earth,” a comment a friend made during a small group discussion stuck with me. “People know I’m Nigerian right away by my name. That’s one of the first things they know.”

Automatically, as a “foreigner” you typically do not blend in, unless you’re trying really hard to. I often get the “...I thought you were [something other than the norm!]” "I could tell...." or "I knew you were…!" What they’re basically articulating is “I knew you were different!”

One of the first things people should know about us is that we are Christians. As a Christian, you are a citizen of a future city.  This is not our permanent residence, we are foreigners. Someone should be able to say “I knew you were Christian” or “I could tell you were Christian” “you’re different!” all the time, because as the salt we’re not made to blend in. It should go without saying, but I really have to emphasize all the time, as in everywhere, all day, everyday.

Also, as John and I were able to detect ourselves, foreigners can usually detect themselves. As a Christian, another Christian should be able to detect that you also are not a citizen of this world, all the time. You are a foreigner. Further, some foreigners have the desire, deep inside of them, to relocate or retire "back home" to their native land. Just the same, we are longing for our home, so we cannot get too comfortable here.

We were not made to blend in, during our life journey to our future home. What we do, as professing Christians, gives off a fragrance representing Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:14-16:

14) But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15) Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16) To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?

Unbelievers and the undiscipled will remember everything about the culture of Christ, by what we, as believers, teach them intentionally and inadvertently, whether accurate or inaccurate.


Which culture are you representing, all the time?

Jesus: who do you say I am?
Your Answer: [Insert the way you live your life here.] 

 The culture of the Kingdom is the culture of the King! If you’re not representing the culture of the Kingdom, which culture or kingdom are you representing? - Pastor Billy Humphrey

HelpCalebGraves.org

This is an appeal to ask you to pray for Caleb Graves, his fiancée Victoria, and his family and the family they will be starting next year.

Caleb is a missionary and drummer at the International House of Prayer in Atlanta. Sunday evening, while helping a stranded driver, he was hit by a stolen car and the driver fled the scene. He was immediately rushed to the ICU, and his left leg below the knee had to be amputated. Thankfully, since then, he has been moved out of the ICU, however he is still in a lot of pain. This is obviously an attack of the enemy, as anyone can clearly see the anointing on this young man’s life. But after all is said and done, even the enemy will regret what he's attempting to do. Touch not My anointed and do My prophets no harm!

Please pray for physical and emotional healing, increased strength and resources for the medical and supplemental expenses. Also, pray that the LORD will be glorified through all of this. Also, pray that the person who hit him will turn himself in and/or be brought to justice. Pray for the International House of Prayer Atlanta community also, as they link arms to help him through this, in the best way.


I already see the LORD being glorified through this and know that He will continue to be glorified. The body of Christ has been coming together from all over the nation to support him and his family. So many people from across the nation are praying for him and his family, so many people who may not have been praying otherwise. And just interacting with Caleb, Victoria or anyone from their family, even for the shortest amount of time, you will understand why people are eagerly rising to the call of prayer and other means of support on their behalf because of how they’ve touched people with love and kindness. Many more testimonies will come out of this, I’m certain.

Please visit HelpCalebGraves.org for more information on how you can help this family and updates on Caleb's progress.

Friends rally around good Samaritan injured helping driver - News Story - WSB Atlanta

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28

I've never seen a gang, in action

Photo by Strannick45

until Sunday.

At the corner of Wilson and Sheridan, stands a gray stone brick building, which is the home of the Uptown Baptist Church and several other church-co-tenants of the property. We also meet there for African Christian Fellowship meetings, as we have been for as long as I can remember; decades even.

Sunday evening we had our annual African Christian Fellowship picnic at Montrose beach. After the picnic, about 6 of us took some things back to the church to lock up.

As soon as we get out the car, commotion surrounds us. There are adults engaged in some dispute; all types of foul language is being exchanged and it’s two seconds from getting physical. Before we can even realize what's going on, one guy suddenly secures himself in the center of our midst. He starts mumbling out the side of his mouth, with his hand on his belt buckle, under his shirt and he looks slightly, just slightly, intoxicated. We make out what he is saying with an accent: “these guys; they want to jump me, they are in a gang, call the cops, I don’t want any trouble.”

Someone from the group pursuing him speaks up and says something to the effect of “don’t shoot or leave him alone, we’ll get him.” I’ve been following some of the violence events in Uptown that have been taking place right on this same block lately. Seeing as though I had no desire to be part of the 10 o’clock news, I say to one of my friends, “I think we should get back in the car,” especially since the entrance we plan to enter through is locked.

Soon we get the church opened and minutes later they were beating the guy who initially solicited our help as he fled into the McDonald’s across the street for safety. Why are they pursuing him? Because he threw up the wrong sign. Really? Really!

We finish taking the last of the things back into the church and we are waiting for everyone to get back outside so we can leave at the same time. The man being pursued has now been taken away by an unmarked SUV police car. And now, this “gang” is sitting and standing on the steps of the church entrance, using the same foul language, rousing themselves up, and plotting about how they will kill him the next time they see him.

Over a hand gesture; this cannot be real. I'm somewhat shocked that they are really "gang banging" just out in the open and I am really witnessing the preliminary stages of the caught in cross gang violence news stories. It is 8pm on a Sunday night, this cannot be their life, and they all must be in their 30s. I’m tempted to talk to them but advised not to, so we all get back into the cars.

As we drive off, I notice the sign in the window of the women’s shelter, yards from where they were congregated: “Stop Killing People.”

The presence of the Church had no effect on these people.

Our presence almost had no effect on these people.

This is not the Uptown I remember.

Pray for Uptown. Pray for Chicago. Pray for the Church in Chicago.

“…you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” – A.J. Gordon

You are marked!

You, yes you specifically reading this, are marked! Psalm 139

Nothing else really needs to be said on this post; the video below says it all. Please listen!

Praying for the souls of Muslims

Monday, August 1st, was the first day of the August 2011 Global Bridegroom Fast (‘GBF’). This is a fast where believers fast 3 days a month, beginning with the first Monday of the month, and the first 7 days in December making a total of 40 days a year.

“This fast is a worldwide concert of prayer when believers unite to seek the Lord’s face—at the same time, with the same burdens, and in the same Spirit.”

And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. Matthew 9:15

During the 4pm GBF intercession we prayed primarily for the souls of Muslims. Monday also marked the beginning of Ramadan this year. This means 1 billion people are praying and fasting to a god who cannot hear them or answer their prayers.

“Jesus, You are worthy of praise, even from Mecca!” “Make Your Son’s name great over Allah”– Intercession Choruses via Tolu Akande.

Please keep Muslims in your prayers unto the only true living God, the LORD. Pray that they would know the truth, that there is only one true living uncreated God, the same yesterday, today and forevermore and Jesus is His Son, the visible image of the Father, not merely a prophet. Also, pray for the yet-to-be discipled nations, where Islam is the dominant religion and that the word of the LORD would run swiftly in their lands and in their hearts.


By the way, you don’t have to be Muslim to pray 5 times a day (or more). Every Christian needs to be a an individual house of prayer. Jesus is not going to come back for a bride that doesn't want to talk to Him. {Make us ready LORD}


Please listen to this series called Cultivating a Culture of Prayer especially part 3 from IHOP Atlanta. This was a 7-part series that covered a good portion of the Sunday sermons during my internship. It is also available on iTunes for free. The dates are from May 29, 2011 to July 10, 2011.


Be blessed, in other words, please receive this revelation friends! 


Ephesians 1:17-19.